“Stay in the present and…”: Former India U-19 captain credits mental strength for stunning DPL hundred
Staying in the present is the mantra Yash Dhull wants to live by as the former India U-19 World Cup winning captain aims to make the most of the opportunities that come his way, like a stunning hundred in the Delhi Premier League here.
In a rain-truncated DPL game here on Saturday, the right-handed 22-year-old set the tone with a 51-ball 105 with 14 fours and four sixes to propel Central Delhi Kings to 197/7, helping them win by 15 runs against North Delhi Strikers.
“I am thinking about how I can grab the opportunity that I have…If you think too much about the future, you can’t play well in the present”, Dhull told PTI Videos.
“I am living in the present and doing my practice side by side…Yes, batting a bit against the red-ball…the lessons at the National Cricket Academy (now BCCI Centre of Excellence) on how to switch from white ball to red ball cricket are helping me a lot right now”, Dhull added.
A heart surgery for a “minor” congenital issue in July last year also led Dhull to pause, reassess, and come back stronger on the cricket field.
“That incident helped me a lot because I got to know what all I can do…No one was standing with me at that time. I knew I was alone, and I had no choice but to make a comeback. I just kept myself mentally strong,” Dhull said.
“(But) I had confidence in myself. I knew I would play again one day and I knew how to make it and how I will make it,” he recalled.
If inner strength pushed young Dhull through the toughest times, his coaches shaped the way forward.
“They are the ones who taught me everything. I am blessed to have such good coaches. I have Rajesh Nagar sir and Pradeep Kochhar sir who have taught me. They must be very happy to see my matches. I am very happy to play under them,” he said.
In his debut Ranji Trophy season in 2021–22, he finished as Delhi’s leading run-getter with 479 runs in six innings at an average of 119.75, scoring hundreds in both innings of his debut and an unbeaten double century against Chhattisgarh.
Last season was steadier in which 286 runs across seven matches came at 40.90 and two centuries signalling the steady rise after the surgery.
In DPL, Dhull has piled up 292 runs at 146 and a strike rate of 180.25 in five innings, placed third among the leading run-scorers.
But the 2024-25 season brought more than runs; it brought refinement. Dhull’s technique now features a subtle trigger movement, a tweak he credits with adding balance to his game.
“You know that you have to make small changes in your life and I just did the same. I am trying to make small changes every day because now everyone is playing at a good level like the IPL plus nowadays video analysis helps oppositions to plan better against you,” he said.
“A bowler like Harshit Rana, who is playing international cricket for India, won’t let me score if I keep playing the same way,” he added.
“I am enjoying my game at the moment. I am not thinking too much about my runs, I am taking things game by game and reacting accordingly”.
The aspiration to play for India are there but Dhull doesn’t think too far ahead.
“It is very important for me to stay in the present because I have made this mistake earlier. I used to think more about the future, I used to think about the past,” he said.
“It is very simple, stay in your present, grab the opportunity and everyone’s destiny, touchwood, is written. I am enjoying this moment and not thinking about things ahead,” he added.
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